This is Part 2 of a two-part article on How to Worldbuild Using the GRAPES of Civilization.
In the last part of this duology, I explained the first part of the GRAPES of Civilization: Geography, Religion, and Achievements. The GRAPES of Civilization can be used to worldbuild fictional original stories. By learning about real-life civilizations, you can use those aspects to apply them to your own world.
The P of GRAPES stands for Politics
Politics is an important part of civilization. It can range from something like an ancient monarchy to a modern democratic republic. Politics are prevalent in our real-life civilizations, and, even if you may not realize it, fictional ones. Stereotypical kingdoms and royal families are part of the politics of GRAPES. In any society, some form of government will eventually develop.
E for Economy
The next letter of GRAPES is E for Economy. This is the monetary system of a civilization. Do they use currency? Is there a trading system? How much are some things valued? To get the resources they need but don’t have, people trade with others. They may trade with other resources they have extra of. They may also trade with precious metals, or have a currency system set up, with coins or paper bills. Based on the time period your story is set in, and other aspects of your civilization, you may create your society’s economy.
S for Social Structure
The final letter is S for Social Structure. How is your society set up? In our world, social structure is based on wealth. There are different classes of people based on wealth, like upper, middle, and lower. Some common classes also include nobles, merchants, and peasants. Based on your world’s economy, how would social classes be set up? Would it be based on something else, like religion?
The GRAPES of Civilization are six ideas that are important to the foundation of a civilization. By understanding them, you can use them to create fictional civilizations when you are worldbuilding in stories.
